Cirque du Soleil’s popular productions The Beatles Love and Michael Jackson One obviously operate as musical celebrations of iconic artists, but that’s the end of similarities between the two Las Vegas Strip shows.
“I’ve heard going to MJ One is like going to a concert and going to Love is like being in the studio with the Beatles, and I think that really represents the uniqueness of each show,” says Cirque’s Vice President of Operations Matt Nickel.
Both are coming back to life this month. One, first opened in 2013, returned to its Mandalay Bay theater on August 19 while Love, which debuted in 2006, restarts at the Mirage on August 26. Cirque previously reopened Mystère at Treasure Island on June 28 and O at Bellagio on July 1, which leaves only KÁ at MGM Grand, expected to relaunch this fall or winter
Bolstered by speedy ticket sales and steady Vegas visitation, Cirque’s Strip comeback has been a successful one this year. Like the previous reopenings, these two shows brought back cast and crew for an eight-week ramp-up process, and though each production is different and complex, valuable lessons were learned from Mystère and O that helped with One and Love.
“I think every company in Las Vegas has its own struggles with COVID and what that represents, and we’ve really altered our protocols continuously through that [reopening] period,” Nickel says. “We’ve learned a lot and continue to learn more about protocols and contacts and how we manage that and reach out to people.”
Cast and crew members re-masked just a few weeks after Mystère and O relaunched, well before the state reinstalled an indoor mask mandate on July 30. Perhaps more significantly, Cirque moved from daily testing for artists and technicians to required vaccinations back in May.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of companies doing it at the time, but it was a critical decision for us,” Nickel says. “It gave us some comfort to alter our protocols to allow for a bit more freedom. We still have a lot of restrictions, and we continue that with MJ One and Love and adding another layer with mask-wearing and distancing where possible backstage, but ... these [policies] were the right thing to do at the moment, to be ahead of the game.”
Just as the Las Vegas Raiders stepped to the head of the class in the NFL by requiring fans to get vaccinated, Cirque du Soleil has played a leadership role in the entertainment and live events industry.
“Back in May, that was based solely on the well-being and safety of our employees and artists. Not once did we think this is part of our duty to be a leader in the entertainment community,” Nickel says. “We’re happy if that’s the result of being early adapters, but that was not the intent.”
The other priority is to create the same brilliant experience fans expect from Cirque shows in Vegas, especially since One and Love have loyal regulars that come back time and again. Nickel says both shows mostly maintain pre-pandemic casting lineups, musical arrangements and organization of different acts and scenes.
Starting on September 16, One will shift to a standard schedule of 7 and 9:30 p.m. shows Thursday through Monday. Love will settle into the same schedule on September 23 after some slight shuffling earlier next month.
MICHAEL JACKSON ONE Thursday-Monday, 7 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 9:30 p.m., $69-$215. Mandalay Bay, 877-632-7400.
THE BEATLES LOVE Thursday-Monday, 7 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 9:30 p.m., $79-$180. Mirage, 702-792-7777.
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